Jeanette from Edmonton asks: I recently saw a rheumatologist who says I don’t have inflammatory arthritis because there is no swelling on exam. Is that truly the case?
In most situations, a rheumatologist can detect swelling in the joints on a physical exam, assuming there is swelling, which helps make a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, etc.) However, it is never that simple. Equally important is listening to how you describe your joint pain, stiffness and swelling; and there are situations where the history, in the absence of swelling, leads the rheumatologist to do more testing (for example, ultrasound). In most cases, when a rheumatologist says someone does not have inflammatory arthritis, it is because the symptoms do not quite fit AND there is no swelling on exam.
Posted: January 13, 2025
Tagged: psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis